Apparatus for splicing thermoplastic synthetic yarns



De@ 8 1964 w. v. WILLIAMS 3,160,547

APPARATUS FOR sRLTcTNG THERMOPLASTIC SYNTHETIC YARNs 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. l2, 1963 FIG. l2..

INVENTOR F167. F`1G-. '4243 41 44:4@ 45 42Y4445 WlLuT; V WILLTAMS AWWA 1c YARNS Dec. 8, 1964 w. v. WILLIAMS APPARATUS FOR SPLICING THERMOPLASTIC SYNTHET Filed Feb. l2, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 44 INVENT OR 41 32 WlLLlEVWlLLlAMS P @ibm ATTORNEY PEG@ 91610. F1611. 47 bllV 52, A 45 United States Patent O 3,160,547 APPARATUS FR SPLIQING THERMOPLASTIC SYNTHETIC YARNS Willie V. Wiilianis, 761-717 S.Spencer St., Dalton, Ga. Filed Feb. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 257,968 8 Claims. (Cl. 156-433) This invention relates broadly to electrical heating apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for splicing thermoplastic synthetic yarns and the like.

In the textile industry, a serious problem arises in a number of instances, for example in weaving and tufting operations when yarn ends must be spliced, as when changing from one yarn package to another. Knots are undesirable and cause flaws in the work and knots cannot pass through the eyes of needles in tufting machines. It has been customary in the prior art to splice synthetic yarn ends with a latex adhesive composition and this is a tedious and uneconomical process and the resulting splice frequently shows up in the work asa dark spot or flaw resulting in rejects.

The object of this invention is to provide etiicient and economical means to join or splice synthetic yarns including nylon and other Well-known synthetics of the thermoplastic type. The splice is effected by the invention apparatus in a rapid and fool-proof manner, without the need for a skilled operator and without the need for cement, knotting, overlapping of ends or the like. The splice produced by the invention apparatus is clean and produces an exceedingly strong bond at the joined ends of the yarn with substantially no discoloration or interruption of the uniform yarn diameter or thickness adjacent the splice. Consequently, the use of this splice results in superior textile products which are free of the above-named imperfections caused by other types of splicing. The use of the invention apparatus also saves a great deal of time and labor and the apparatus is rugged and durable, easy to operate and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE l is a perspective View of a synthetic yarn splicing apparatus according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the apparatus viewed from the remote side of FIGURE 1 and showing in full and broken lines two extreme positions of a moving anvil and associated elements.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan View of the apparatus,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on line 4 4 of FIGURE 3, with the moving anvil and yarn gripping means in a forwardmost or inactive position,

FIGURE 5', is a similar View, partly in elevation, showthe anvil and gripping means in an intermediate active position,

FIGURE 6 is a similar view showing the anvil and gripping means in a fully active position for forming the splice or completing the splice.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the moving anvil and yarn gripping means in the inactive position and showing yarn ends placed within a slot of the anvil, Y

FIGURE 8 is a similar view showing the yarn gripping means active for gripping the yarn just prior to splicing,

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken approximately on line 9--9 of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 10 is a similar view taken approximately on line 10-10 of FIGURE 3,

3,159,547 Patented Dec. 8, 1964 ICC FIGURE 11 is a similar view taken approximately on line 11--11of FIGURE 5, and

FIGURE l2 is an enlarged side elevation of a synthetic yarn splice formed by the invention apparatus.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 15 designates a support base for the apparatus adapted to rest upon a table or the like and having an upstanding support plate 16 rigidly secured thereto as at 17 near onel end of the base 15 and oifset somewhat from one side thereof. Clamp bracket means 18 for an electrically heated sealing iron 19 of generally conventional construction is secured rigidly to one side of the plate 16 for gripping and holding the cylindrical shank portion 20 of the sealing iron 19. The sealing iron has an insulated handle 21 projecting beyond one end of the base 15 and an electric cord 22 extends throught this handle in a conventional manner to convey current to the heating coil means of theV iron for producing the required heat. A manually adjustable heat thermostat control means 23 is provided upon the body portion of the sealing iron. The iron has a sole or heating sealing plate 24 which faces upwardly and is inclinedboth longitudinally and laterally on the invention apparatus as shown in the drawings. The iron 19 per se is to a great extent a conventional electrical heat sealing iron of the type employed in the packaging industry to seal cellophane Wrappers and the like. In the invention, the sealing plate 24 may be modied somewhat by grinding, as will be explained, to form a relatively stationary V-shaped splicing anvil for coaction with a novel moving anvil and yarn clamping means according'to the invention. In other respects, the iron 19 is conventional, as stated. ,n

An elongated laterally narrow inclined rigid Vguide bar 25 is adjustably rigidly secured as at 26 to one side of plate 16 near the top thereof and this guide bar extends above the heat sealing plate 24 in spaced relation thereto and in somewhat divergent relation therewith toward the forward end of the iron. Near its longitudinal center, FIGURE 3, the guide bar 25 carries a rigid lateral extension 27, preferably Welded thereto, and extending horizontally across the top-of the iron 19 and spaced therefrom.-

An opstanding stop lug 28 for a purpose to be described is secured rigidly to the extension 27.

A rectangular slide or carrier 29 is arranged forwardly of the plate 16 and above the iron 19 and guide bar 25 and rests slidably upon the forward top inclined edge 30 of the latter. The slide 29 has a dependent lug or pin 31 on one side thereof having sliding guided engagement with the adjacent vertical face of the guide bar 25. Rigid with the slide 29 or integral therewith is a carriage bar 32 extending forwardly and rearwardly of the slide 29 and longitudinally of the iron 19 and bar 25 and movable With the carriage 29. The rear end of carriage bar 32 is pivotally secured at 33 to an L-shaped crank 34, in turn pivotally secured at 35 to the upstanding plate 16, near and aboveV the clamp means 1S. The crank 34 has a thumb operated extension 36, as shown, disposed above the handle 21 so'that the apparatus may be conveniently operated with one hand during the splicing of yarn ends. Near and forwardly of the pivot 33, carriage bar 32 has a lateral extension 37 connected with the upper end of a retractile coil spring 38, the lower end of which is connected with an upstanding post 39 rigid with the base 15. The spring 38 serves constantly to hold the slide 29, bar 32 andV associated elements downwardly and forwardly with respect to guide bar 25`and iron 19. Likewise, the spring 38 biases the thumb operated crank or lever 34 into a forwardmost position shown for example in FIGURE l. In such position, the carriage bar 32 rests upon the lateral extension 27 of guide bar 25.

On the forward end of the carriage bar 32 and rigid therewith is a movable anvil having a yarn receiving slot 41 opening through its top and bottom faces and through its rear edge and offset from-one side of the bar 32. This anvil 4t) constitutes a very important element of the invention. The anvil 40- is provided' in its bottom face with a forwardly tapering groove 42,FIGURES 7 and 8, which is also substantially V-shaped in cross section, FIGURESB through 11, and increases gradually in width and*1 in depthV from the'font ed-geof anvil 40 to and throughv the back edge cirV rear edge thereof.- The rear wider portion of thisV tapering vgroove 42 in the bottom face of the movable anvil falls-directly Within the connes of the slot 41 and intersects the same' toward the rear of the movable anvil 40`asshown clearly in the drawings. The sl'otr4'1 forms a clamping shoulder 43V for yarn on the anvil 40 near the longitudinal center' thereof. u

A coacting depending yarn clamping dog- 44 movable into and'out of the slot 41 and toward and away from the shoulder 43is carried by a clamp slide 45,'having sliding engagementwithin' a passage 46 formed through thecarrier`29. A forward longitudinal extension 47 of slide 45 slidablyengages the top of anvil 40 at oneside of slot 41. One longitudinal edge 4S of slide 45 alsoV slidably er1- gages carriage bar 32. Slide is equipped at` itsY rear endwith a cross pin @engaging-back of stop element 28 topositively limit the forward movement of slide 45 with carriage' bar 32 and associated elements. A retractile The operation of the apparatus for splicing monola- Y ment nylon yarn or any like synthetic yarn is quite simpleV and is the following. Y

The' electric cord 22 is plugged in to any convenient source of current and after a few moments the sealing plate 24' of the iron 19 Will achieve the degree of heat under control of thermostat 23 necessaryV to elect the splice with the particular thermoplastic synthetic yarn suchas a nylon; The degree of heatcan be regulated, as stated.

The operator now merely introduces the two sections of yarn't'o be spliced into the slot 41 as depicted in the drawings and he may grasp lightlyY those ends of the yarns which hang below the'anvil 40, FIGURE 1'. His other hand is free to grasp the handle 21 andV operate crank 34 with the thumb at 36.

The thumb element 36 is depressed and this immediately beginsY to retract carriage bar 32, slide 29 and movableanvil 4i) as a unit toward the'heating. iron and the clamping dog 44. The spring. 59 urges clamp slide 45 forwardly and' prevents retraction thereof with the anvil 49and inelect causes relative movement of the anvil 40 and clamping dog 44 toward each other as depicted in the drawings'when the thumb extension 36 is initially depressed. Prior to full retraction of the anvil 40, the clamping dog 44, FGURE 8, will grip the two ends of yarn in side-by-side relation Within theslotr41. of the movable anvil and'against the clamping shoulder 43 of the anvil. The two yarns are indicated at Y in the drawings. As soon as the 'yarn gripping or clamping action is effected, further depression ofthe thumb-extension 36 willvcause both4 the anvil-40 and clamping dog 44 to be further' retracted in unison toward the heating iron along with ythe gripped'yarn, see FIGURE 5. During this final retraction of the movable anvil 40 and associated elements, the lower-'face of-the movableanvil and the groove 42 is caused to ride slida'oly onto the uppermost leading approximately square corner 53 of heatingiron sealing plate 24, which corner 53 interts withthegtapering V-shaped 'groove'42 and forms the stationary anvil`of the splicing apparatus. The stationary4 anvil 53 may be ground or otherwise accurately shaped at the forward portion of sealing plate 24 to provide the proper configuration for mating sliding engagement within the groove 42 of the movable anvil. Both the groove and the corner or stationary anvil 53 are free of burrs and other imperfections or rough spots and the parts interfit andv slide smoothly duringrthe operation of the apparatus. As the movable anvil 46 rides up onto the stationary anvil 53, the spring 33 furnishes the required contact pressure between the two anvils.

During this action, the dependent ends of the yarn sections YV below the movable anvil 40 and clamping dog 44, FIGURES 5 and 6, are brought to bear upon the frontal edge and corner 54 of the stationary anvil 53 and' thedependent yarn sections immediately melt and fuse and are severed or parted from the yarn portions which remain clamped within the slot H 1 and within the downwardly opening groove y42. Subsequent to this-severing of the yarn ends, FGURES 5 and 6, the entire carrier bar 32 isreciprocated several times by means of the thumb oper ated crank and; while theA clampedseveredV ends of yarn with the movable anvil 4t) are riding on top of the stationary anvil 53, FIGURE 6. Thisy action permanently fuses the clamped severed'ends andforms a cleank splice between the severed ends as depicted at-S in FIGURE 12. The cranl; 34 may thenbe released abruptly by the operator and the parts will return automatically to their relative positions shown in FIGUREY 1 and in most cases the rmly spliced-yarnie'nds will' actually spring out of the apparatus'and the apparatus is'cleared for further use for making additional splices in the identical' manner. The splice Srthus formed in exceedingly strong and appears tothe naked-eye as an almost perfect buttr joint with substantially no discoloration of-theadjacent yarn ends. and no bulgingwor knotting or other obstructionor enlargement of the regular yarn diameter toY show .up as an imperfectionpin textile goods.

By way of summation, the apparatus when operated in the above manner first receives'the'two ends of yarn to be spliced, then securely gripsy the two ends and holds them while theyare severed against the leading end and corner of the stationary anvil and finally fuses, VWelds and cleans the clamped ends to complete theY splice by the application of heat and pressure and-thefunique' rubbing action between the movable and stationary anvils Where the Vlshaped groove in the former receives the corne'r of the latter and subjects the clamped cut-yarnV ends' to anal fusing, and burnishing treatment.

The most important elements ofthe invention apparatus resideliin'the movable anvil 40 with the slot 41 and'groove 42, the coacting clamping dog-'44 which may retract .with the movable anvil after gripping the yarn andthe coacting generally square corneredheated stationary anvil 53, as shown and described.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken asa preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and-arrangement of parts may be restorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention orth scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I- claim:

l. Apparatus for use in splicing thermoplastic synthetic yarn comprising in combinationV a heating iron having an approximately square corner portion serving asa stationary heating anvil, a coactingmovable anvil having a slot to receive yarn ends and a *downwardlyl opening substantially V-shapedugroove adjacent'the slot, vmeans .to clampsaid yarn ends within the slot ofthe movablev anvil, means to move the movable anvil toward the stationary anvil with they clamped yarnendsv so that the latter are fused jand severed and 'permanently spliced Vby interfttin'g rubbingaction of the stationary anvil Within the'groove or the movable anvil `adjacent said 'yarn ends.

2. in an electrically heatedsynthetic yarn splicing apparatus, an electrically heated iron having a corner por 5 A tion forming a relatively stationary heated anvil, a slide structure, means to reciprocate the slide structure relative to said stationary anvil, a movable anvil and yarn clamping means on the slide structure and bodily movable therewith toward and away from the stationary anvil, the movable anvil having a through slot to receive yarn ends for clamping therein by said clamping means and also having a tapering groove in one face thereof adjcent said slot to slidably engage said corner portion forming the stationary anvil, and resilient means connected with the slide structure for urging it and the movable anvil into rubbing engagement with the stationary anvil.

3. Synthetic yarn splicing apparatus comprising a support means adapted to rest upon a table, a heating iron mounted upon the support means and having a generally square cornered portion forming a stationary heating anvil, a slide structure on the supporting means including a part forming a movable anvil, said movable anvil having a slot to receive yarn ends and a tapering generally V-shaped groove in its bottom face to ride slidably onto the stationary anvil for creating a rubbing force between said anvils, manually operable lever means connected with the support means and slide structure to reciprocate the latter and the movable anvil relative to the stationary anvil, yarn gripping means on the slide structure and movable therewith and also movable relative thereto for clamping yarn ends within said slot in side-by-side relation, and spring means connected with the slide structure to bias it forwardly relative to the stationary anvil and to also bias the movable anvil downwardly toward rubbing engagement with the stationary anvil.

4. The invention as defined by claim 3, and wherein said lever means is an L-shaped thumb operated crank lever pivoted to the support means and also pivoted to said slide structure, and a gripping handle on said support means in opposition to said lever.

5. Apparatus for use in splicing thermoplastic yarn comprising an electrically heated relatively stationary anvil having an approximately square cornered portion, a coacting movable anvil having a yarn receiving slot and an adjacent generally J-shaped groove for intertting slid-V ing engagement upon said corner portion, movable clamp means to engage yarn within said slot, and linkage means to reciprocate the movable anvil and said clamping means relative to the stationary anvil. Y

6. Synthetic yarn splicing apparatus comprising a relatively stationary anvil adapted to be heated, means to support said anvil, a movable anvil for interlitting rubbing engagement with the stationary anvil and having an opening to receive yarn ends, relatively movable clamp means on the movable anvil to grip the yarn ends within said opening, and manually operable means on the support means and connected with the movable anvil and clamp means to reciprocate the same relative to the Stationary anvil.

7. The invention as dened by claim 6, and spring means connected with the movable anvil to resiliently bias the same toward rubbing contact with the stationary anvil.

8. Apparatus for splicing synthetic yarn comprising a tapering first anvil element, a coacting interitting recessed second anvil element for rubbing action against the rst anvil element, means to heat one of said anvil elements, means :to cause relative reciprocation between said anvil elements while they are in intertting rubbing relation, one of said anvil elements having opening means to receive yarn ends to be spliced, and resilient means to impart the required rubbing pressure at the areas of contact between said anvil elements.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner, 

1. APPARATUS FOR USE IN SPLICING THERMOPLASTIC SYNTHETIC YARN COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A HEATING IRON HAVING AN APPROXIMATELY SQUARE CORNER PORTION SERVING AS A STATIONARY HEATING ANVIL, A COACTING MOVABLE ANVIL HAVING A SLOT TO RECEIVE YARN ENDS AND A DOWNWARDLY OPENING SUBSTANTIALLY V-SHAPED GROOVE ADJACENT THE SLOT, MEANS TO CLAMP SAID YARN ENDS WITHIN THE SLOT OF THE MOVABLE ANVIL, MEANS TO MOVE THE MOVABLE ANVIL TOWARD THE STATIONARY ANVIL WITH THE CLAMPED YARN ENDS SO THAT THE LATTER ARE FUSED AND SEVERED AND PERMANENTLY SPLICED BY INTERFITTING 